Thanks for joining me!

Ok, so this is my very first blog so I am sure I will be a bit rusty in the beginning but I will get the hang of it soon. 🙂 Let’s dive right in! My name is Dani and I am obese! I am 5’5″ and I weigh 217.2 lbs, as of this morning (12/16/2018). My BMI is a 36 and my normal weight range should be between 111 and 150. You see, I LOVE food! It is so good! So much food! And of course, I am drawn to sugar, because, come on! sugar is amazing!

I wasn’t always this large. I mean, I have always struggled with weight my entire life, but nothing like these past three years. When I was a teenager, my sister and I used to eat crazy healthy and workout together for hours! I looked amazing! But then about a month before my 17th birthday I left home to try my own way in life and things went downhill from there. I was just 134 lbs through the first few months of my 17th year but when you have to find a place to live, a job, are dating someone, and so young, stress adds up and weight comes on. So, in January of 2004 I was 151 lbs. That is the highest I could weigh and join the US Air Force…which I did in January 2004. And even that heavy I was ranked 2nd out of 60 females for being in top shape! I could even do 2 pullups (spoiler, today I can’t even pull up like 5 inches)! 

I stayed about 155-160 throughout my technical training prior to getting my first assignment in California in December 2004. I look so darn good under 160! Amazing!You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you I was considered overweight using the BMI scale. Anyways, over the next 11 years my weight fluctuated from 160-205! I look extremely fat past 180 and I look terrible now hovering near 220! Well, during those 11 years I was married, divorced, married again, and then got pregnant in June 2015.

The love of my life, my daughter, was born on March 4th, 2016. I weighed 255 lbs the day she was born. I looked like a blimp! Granted my job at the time had me traveling for 6+ months out of my pregnancy and so I ate out…a LOT! Such yummy goodness, and all for free with my job so you know I was taking advantage of all that! Anywoo…I lost about 30 lbs within the first 5 months after she was born. But that’s it. It should be noted that I breastfed her for 2 years and 4 months, so not sure if that made things better or worse. She was weaned end of June 2018 and that is when I started really trying to lose weight again.

I decided I was really going to crack down and lose this weight. But no luck. I keep losing and gaining the same 10-15 lbs over and over again. So, what brought on this blog? Well, today I watched a video of me and my daughter going on that teacup ride at Six Flags and oh my word! I was like double what I thought I looked like. It is no wonder that my marriage is rocky, we are both so unhappy. I look terrible and of course I don’t think I would want to be with me either looking like this but still it hurts me so much knowing that he doesn’t find me attractive. Granted, he loves me and is an amazing and wonderful father and husband, he just wants us to look better and be healthier. I know I need to lose this weight to save my marriage and to save my sanity. 

A little about my current situation: I am a work-from-home mom. I opened my own business (www.rcsplayhouse.com) in TX and I run the books, marketing, logistics, etc. from home in FL. My mom and aunt run the business in person as they are the other two owners. I am no longer in service as I got out in 2010 to follow my husband, who is active military. I am also starting a new job in January teaching MBA executive students accounting so I have been training a lot the last couple of months. I take care of my daughter all day long and play with her. I finally started sending her to a church pre-school for 5 hrs a day 3x a week just so I can breathe! And I hate the gym! But I’m so desperate! Something has to change, right?!?

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I have to do something different. I have to lose at least 60 lbs, but my goal is to lose 83 lbs and get down to 134 once again. That is my goal weight and my sister is getting married in September 2019 and I am her maid of honor and I need to lose this weight. Also, my husband is getting deployed in April for 6 months so I would love for him to come home and see a new me! 

My goal is to write here at least once a week, if not more, to say how I am doing, what went well, what didn’t go so well, how I am feeling (emotionally and physically), and just give you an update, as well as give me something to read in the days when I need it. 

So, I welcome you to join me on this journey, to hear my sorrows and joys, and to be with me as I begin this endeavor to get back to my goal weight of 134! Thank you for listening, please feel free to comment any advice or thoughts, and welcome to my enLIGHTenment!! Haha! =^D

Here is what I looked like in May 2015 at 162 lbs vs December 2018 at 217 lbs.